Fruit-drier.



No. 769,608. PATENTED SEPT. 6, 1904. H. A. HOOVER. FRUIT DRIER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 16, 1904.

N0 MODEL.

Patented September 6, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

HORATIO A. HOOVER, OF LATHAM, ILLINOIS.

FRUIT-DRIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 769,608, dated September G, 1904.

Application filed March 16, 1904. Serial No. 198,442. (No model.)

To (all ivlwnt it ntrty concern.-

Be it known that I, HoEATIo A. I-Ioovnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Latham, in the county of Logan and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Fruit- Drier, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to fruit- .lriers, and has for its objects to produce a comparatively simple inexpensive device of this character which in practice will thoroughly dry the fruit or analogous material under treatment without burning or otherwise injuriously affecting the same and one in which a circulation of the heating medium through the drier will be maintained.

To these ends the invention comprises the novel features of construction and combination of parts more fully hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my device, showing the cover or tray removed from the tank. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a tank or reservoir, preferably composed from sheet metal and of substantially rectangular form, as herein shown, it being understood, of course, that this tank, which constitutes the body of the drier and is designed in practice to seat upon an ordinary stove, may be of any suitable form adapting it for this purpose. Fixed within the tank 1 in any suitable manner, and projecting alternately from a pair of the opposite walls thereof, is a series of bathe-plates or partitions 2, each of which terminates at its outer end short of the adjacent wall of the tank, thus producing spaces or passages 3 for the flow of water or other heating medium within the vessel, said partitions being also provided each with transverse openings or passages 4, of which there are preferably a pair formed in each partition and disposed, respectively, adjacent to the opposite ends and the transverse center of the latter, these openings serving to permit free flow and circulation of steam from one compartment of the tank to another.

The tank or vessel 1 has a removable fruitreceiving tray or cover 5, provided with a peripheral upstanding flange 6, which serves to retain the material in position, said cover or tray being also provided with a pair of openings or perforations 7, disposed, respectively, adjacent to diagonally opposite corners of the tray for communicating with the interior of the vessel, either of said openings serving for the introduction of water to the vessel and both of the openings for escape of steam from the latter. The tray seats down into the mouth of the tank and rests upon a marginal ledge or seat 8 within the latter, it beingnoted that the battles are of a height for their upper edges to come flush with said seat, and thus serve as an additional and intermediate support for the tray to prevent rocking or oscillation of the latter and to prevent sagging ot' the bottom of the tray under the weight of its contents.

Mounted on the outer wall and adjacent to one corner of the body 1 is a water-gage 9 of any preferred construction and designed for readily determining the amount of water within the tank.

In practice the tank is partially filled with water say to the height of the openings 4: and is placed upon a stove for raising and maintaining the water to boiling-point. The cover or tray, having the material to be treated spread thereon is placed in position on the tank and becomes heated from the steam generated in the latter, and this heat being uniform serves to thoroughly desiccate the material without scorching or otherwise injuriously affecting the latter. During the desiccating process water is introduced from time to time into the tank through one of the openings 7 and in traveling between the bathe-plates circulates freely and thoroughly through the vessel, while the steam may escape from the latter through the other of said openings to thus relieve undue pressure within the tank.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I produce an apparatus of simple construction which is admirably adapted for the attainment of the ends in view; but it is to be unlderstood that I do not limit myself to the precise details herein set forth, inasmuch as -minor changes may be made Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is In a fruit-drier, a vessel having a marginal seat and a pair of opposed side Walls, a plu rality of battles attached respectively to and projecting alternately from said walls and terminating at their outer ends each short of the adjacent wall, the baffies being provided" above the normal water-level in the vessel with perforations and having their upper edges terminated flush with the seat, and a fruit-receiving tray constituting a closure for the vessel and adaptedto rest on the marginal seat and upper edges of the baffles, said tray having an opening through its bottom for the introduction of water to and escape of steam from the vessel.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

HORATIO A. HOOVER.

Witnesses:

WM. SALLEE, SAMUEL L. ALLISON. 

